Such a wiper serves for wiping off excess cosmetic mass from an applicator that is dipped into a cosmetic mass stored in a cosmetics storage container and is then withdrawn from the cosmetics storage container through the wiper, in order to apply a certain amount of the cosmetic, preferably without any dripping, with the cosmetics applicator then loaded with cosmetic mass. In particular, the invention relates to a wiper for lip gloss mass or mascara mass applicators. Generally, such a cosmetics applicator consists of an actual applicator portion, which is attached to its one end and frequently configured as a bristle covering, and an applicator handling means attached to its opposite end, in which the applicator handle is frequently configured as a screw cap at the same time. The applicator portion and the applicator handling means are connected to an applicator stem which, if disposed in an applicator container or cosmetics storage container containing the supply of cosmetic mass, is positioned so as to be movable in the center of the wiper inserted into the mouth of the applicator container or cosmetics storage container.
Various designs of applicators have become known in the prior art. Such applicators are most frequently configured as sleeves or tubular bodies that taper at one end in the manner of a truncated cone, in the broadest sense. The portion configured like a truncated cone forms a wiper lip which extends peripherally in the circumferential direction, is most frequently closed in itself or subdivided into closely adjacent circle segments.
When dimensioning such a wiper lip, considerable attention has to be paid with regard to the diameter of the stem with which the actual applicator portion, which predominantly consists of a bristle covering, is connected to the applicator handle.
A conflict of objectives is often the result especially if applicators with a bristle covering are used. If the clear internal diameter of the wiper lip of such a wiper is dimensioned to be comparatively large, the wiper does not put up any excessive resistance to the withdrawal of the applicator, but leaves a lot of cosmetic mass in the bristle covering. Once the clear diameter of the area enclosed by the wiper lip is made considerably smaller than the diameter of the applicator stem, the actual applicator portion is wiped off to a considerably greater extent. However, the resistance that has to be overcome when the applicator is withdrawn is increased significantly at the same time.
In many cases, this conflict of objectives leads to the necessity, with regard to the design of the applicator, of having to maintain a certain diameter ratio between the applicator stem and the core of the applicator carrying the bristles, which limits the design options.
US 2005/0095052 A1 already discloses a wiper comprising a solid retaining portion to be fixed in a mouth opening of an applicator container, with a flexible wiper arm that is attached thereto by molding and forms a circle segment. The flexible wiper arm can be moved in such a way by means of an operating means that the distal diameter of the wiper inside the applicator container can be varied thereby. This is disadvantageous in that the flexible wiper arm has to be operated from the outside.